CNET’s News Blog explains that “instead of being restricted to sites ending in .com or .org., eBay could have a site that ends in .ebay, or New York City could end its Web site with .nyc,” for example.

In light of the independent organization’s rejection of the suffix ‘.xxx’ last year, CEO Paul Twomey added that the company would still try to regulate suffixes that “seem inappropriate for security or moral reasons.”

Critics are citing confusion and a “gold rush mentality” as probable outcomes of the more lenient naming system. Ron Jackson of Domain Journal remarked that the system will likely “addle and elude the average Internet user.”

CNET reports that experts are concerned the new rules “could create a gold rush mentality,” where registrants use common words in domains that could be inappropriate. But ICANN’s Paul Twomey emphasized that the new, relaxed regulations will create “new real estate” online.

Britain’s The Register reported on the U.S. government’s 2006 decision to “transition its control” over ICANN, giving the organization more of an international role in overseeing the Web. In turn, this helped change ICANN from a rather covert operation run by secretive CEO Paul Twomey to an organization that recognizes it “has to open up and allow more people to decide its course” if it is to have great control over the direction of the Web.

Jonathan Robinson, COO of the domain name management firm NetNames, told the Guardian, “It can be argued that the expansion of available suffixes is the equivalent of opening a can of worms in terms of online infringement and cybersquatting. It seems logical to assume that as domain numbers increase, so too will the levels of speculative activity.”

Britain’s ZDNet speculates that countries “are expected to keep their specific suffixes, but … cities could also get individualized URLs, such as .london or .chicago.” The article adds, “In an effort to deter cybersquatters, the organisation is likely to charge a hefty price for the new names.”

The Press Democrat, based in California, noted that the openness of the new domain system will likely “sow confusion in the minds of Web users.” Ron Jackson of the Domain Journal told the Press Democrat, “If you have hundreds or thousands of new suffixes, they are not that easy to remember. I just see it as confusing.”

ICANN accompanies its decision with FAQs and other information on its Web site. On the subject of word usage ICANN explains, “Offensive names will be subject to an objection-based process based on public morality and order. This process will be conducted by an international arbitration body utilizing criteria drawing on provisions in a number of international treaties. ICANN will not be the decision maker on these objections.”